


Let Me Ruin You

by arysa13



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, First Time, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Future Fic, Humor, One Night Stands, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-08 08:14:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13454127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arysa13/pseuds/arysa13
Summary: Betty is sick of being a virgin so she asks Archie to help her out.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just testing the waters to see how everyone feels about Barchie smut, so leave me some feedback if you can!

Betty pushes open the white door, and finds her pretty pink room exactly the way she left it.

She shouldn’t be surprised, it’s only been a few months since she was home last, but she keeps expecting her mother to do some kind of home makeover and turn her room into a gym or a bar or a sex dungeon.

Betty steps inside and drops her heavy bag to the floor. She’s only staying a week and she’s probably overpacked, but she needs to be prepared for all occasions. FP had offered to carry it up for her, but honestly, she still feels a little awkward around him, now that he and Alice are living together. It’s kind of weird when your mom is dating your ex-boyfriend’s father. It’s even weirder that Jughead sometimes stays in Polly’s old room when he’s home from college. But Betty is happy Alice is happy, especially since Alice has become a lot more relaxed since she started dating FP. And Betty and Jughead are on friendly terms, so it’s not as awkward as it could be.

Shutting the door behind her, Betty breathes a sigh of relief. There’s something comforting about being back home. She knows many of her new friends would disagree, which is why most them have headed to the beach or some exotic location for spring break, but despite all the bad things about her small hometown, it still feels like home to Betty.

With this in mind, Betty walks over to the window and pulls back the curtain. It’s too dark in here, and a little stuffy as well, so she opens the window while she’s at it. And if she happens to catch a glimpse of the boy next door, well, that’s just an added bonus.

Sure enough, she can see Archie through her open window, his head bent over his guitar as he strums. She can’t hear what he’s playing, but from the pencil and paper next to him and the look of concentration on his face, he’s probably writing something. Betty smiles to herself as she leans out the window a little, breathing in the floral spring air, hoping he’ll look up.

He pauses his singing and playing to write something down, and when he brings his head back up he locks eyes with her. His face immediately breaks into a grin and Betty smiles even wider. Archie puts the guitar down and approaches the window, opening it so he too can lean out.

“Hey,” he says, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiles at her.

“Hey,” Betty responds. “Long time no see.”

“We really suck at this catching up thing. Anyone would think we lived in different cities.”

“New York is a big city. And we’re both busy.”

“Still,” Archie tilts his head. “I’ve missed you.”

Betty’s heart clenches.

“I’ve missed you too,” she sighs.

“You want to come over?” Archie asks.

“I don’t want to interrupt your creative process,” Betty says.

“It’s a little late for that,” he says wryly and Betty rolls her eyes. “I can come to you if you want.”

“No, I’ll be right over,” Betty smiles. Archie nods and Betty turns, leaving the window open and skipping down the stairs.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Alice asks her as Betty nearly crashes into her mother.

“Archie’s.”

Alice raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything on the matter.

“FP and I are going out tonight, I don’t know when we’ll be back,” Alice tells her daughter. Betty swallows.

“Okay, Mom,” she says. Alice smiles.

“Have fun!” she says, before heading upstairs. Betty resumes her journey next door. Archie is on the porch waiting for her. Her stomach churns at the sight of him. Not because, you know, she’s still in love with him or anything. (She’s not). It’s just the thought of what she’s going to ask him. It’s not really the kind of favour she’d normally ask him. Or anyone. But it needs to be done.

He pulls her into a hug when she reaches him, and he smells so distinctly Archie, and he’s so soft and warm, despite the actual hardness of his body.

Betty’s the first to pull away, reluctantly, because there is only so long you can hug a person before the hug starts to mean something else.

“Should we go inside?” Betty asks, and Archie nods, leading her inside.

“How have you been since I saw you last?” Archie asks, turning his head back to her as he walks up the stairs to his room.

“Which was when? Christmas?” Betty responds, following him.

“I can’t believe it’s been that long,” he groans. “I’m such a shitty friend.”

“I’m not exactly getting any best friend awards,” Betty grimaces. They reach his room and Archie flops down on his bed, moving his guitar so Betty can do the same. She lies back and Archie copies turning his head towards her.

“What’s your song about?” Betty asks.

“It’s about having no inspiration to write a song,” Archie grins. “It’s pretty shit, actually.”

“You need to get a girlfriend, that always inspires you. Or at least fall desperately in love with someone you can’t have. That always makes a good song.”

“You find me someone then,” Archie tells her.

“There isn’t one girl you like at your college?” Betty raises an eyebrow disbelievingly. Archie screws up his face.

“Not really,” he says.

“This is so uncharacteristic,” Betty marvels.

“Shut up,” Archie says affectionately. “What about you? Anyone you like?”

Betty shrugs, as best she can while lying down. She looks away, fiddling with her fingernails. “I’ve been on a few dates.”

“Oh yeah?” Archie says in interest. Betty sits up.

“I actually kind of wanted to… talk to you about that,” she says. Archie sits up beside her, his face concerned, sensing her nervous tone.

“Are you okay? Did something happen? Did someone do something to you?” he asks, immediately taking the protective stance.

“I’m fine,” Betty assures him. “Nothing happened. Which is… kind of the problem.”

Archie frowns in confusion. Betty takes a deep breath.

“I kind of…” she pauses, her expression pained. Archie just waits for her to finish. “I wanted to try you know, casual sex,” she finally spits out, and Archie isn’t entirely able to hide his surprised expression, though she appreciates that he tried. “But every time I got close to doing it, I chickened out,” she explains.

“So… you want… tips?” he asks, clearly still confused as to how this involves him. “Because I don’t really do casual sex either.”

“Right, but you have _had_ sex. Which I haven’t,” Betty says. “And it’s very daunting to think about doing it for the first time, because I want the first time to be _nice_ at least. It doesn’t have to be amazing, but I want to be able to look back on it without feeling horrible.”

“That’s understandable,” Archie nods.

For a second Betty considers Archie’s first time, and she wonders if he looks back on Miss Grundy fondly or whether it makes his skin crawl now.

“And I just keep thinking, what if I decide to have sex with one of these guys and it turns out to be really awful? What if he doesn’t like my body and makes me feel bad? What if he laughs at my inexperience? What if he doesn’t really care about me? What if he says he’s going to use a condom but he doesn’t?” Betty swallows. “What if I change my mind but he doesn’t stop?” she whispers.

Archie is silent for a moment. “That’s a lot to worry about,” he finally says. “I guess I didn’t realise how much easier guys had it.”

“You’re right, but that’s not my point,” Betty sighs.

“Maybe casual sex isn’t the right option right now,” Archie suggests. “Maybe you should be in a relationship with someone, and wait until you know you can trust them.”

“Guys don’t want to wait that long for sex.”

“But you should lose your virginity to someone who cares about you,” Archie protests. It’s sweet that he’s so protective of her.

“I know,” Betty says. She looks down for a moment to where their hands rest side by side. “That’s why I thought maybe… you would do it.”

Archie practically chokes on his own breath.

“Betty…” he starts.

“Before you say no, just hear me out!” Betty cuts him off. “I understand if you don’t want to have sex with me, but if you’re going to say no because you think I haven’t thought this through, I promise I have. I just want to lose my virginity to someone I trust, someone who cares about me, who makes me feel safe, and _you do_. I’m not going to pine for you or anything afterwards, and you’re not going to break my heart again. Just a one time thing, I swear.”

Archie still looks unsure. Betty suddenly wonders if she’s made a terrible mistake.

“You know what? Forget it.” she says quickly, her face heating up. Already she’s wondering if she really asked him to have sex with her. “I shouldn’t have asked, I’m sorry. You probably think I’m an idiot.”

“I don’t think you’re an idiot,” Archie assures her.

“I’ll just go now,” she says awkwardly, standing up. “I’m not even your type, I don’t know why I thought you’d want to…” she rambles before Archie cuts her off.

“Hey,” he says, standing up, taking her hand to comfort her. “It’s not that at all,” he says, stroking her palm with his thumb.

“What is it then?” Betty asks, unable to look at him, instead watching him trace circles on her hand. The motion soothes her, yet somehow makes her heart speed up at the same time. Archie takes a breath and lick his lips.

“It’s… I just… don’t want to ruin our friendship,” he says. Betty looks up at him.

“I don’t think it will,” she says. Archie looks at her helplessly with those big brown eyes.

“Can I think about it?” he asks. Betty nods.

“Mom and FP are going out tonight. If you decide yes, come over around nine,” she says. Archie nods and drops her hand. Betty immediately misses the contact. “I won’t be upset if you decide no,” Betty promises. She doesn’t want him to feel pressured into this. Archie nods again.

Betty leaves then, without saying anything else, her heart pounding, already thinking ahead to tonight, wondering if she’ll see him. She really hopes she’ll see him.

-

It’s agony, wondering for the rest of the day what Archie’s decision will be. Why had she said 9pm? She should have told him to message her as soon as he made his decision.

But Archie seems to know her better than she knows herself, and she gets a text from him at exactly 4:35pm.

**_Yes_ **

That’s all it says, but that’s all Betty needs. _Yes._ The word sends shivers up her spine, and she tries not to think to hard about what might happen tonight. What’s _going_ to happen to tonight. She’s going to have sex with Archie Andrews, her best friend.

Betty spends the rest of the afternoon and early evening with her stomach in knots. Not because she’s regretting her decision to ask Archie to have sex with her, she’s still sure about that. But it’s _Archie._ What if this does ruin their friendship after all?

But the knots in her stomach might not be entirely from worry. There’s also a bundle of excitement there. She wants this. She wants Archie. She’s sure she’s not in love with him anymore, but he’s still amazing to look at, and with all the different women he’s slept with, he’s bound to be good at it, right? Even if he’s not, at least he’ll know what he’s doing for the most part, which is more than she can say for herself.

At 8pm, Betty starts getting ready. She redoes her make-up, just enough to look like she isn’t trying too hard. She opts to leave her hair out, after much consideration of whether it would be sexier to pull it out in front of him, or have him pull it out for her. Ultimately, she decides both of those options could end up being decidedly _unsexy_ if her hair was pulled too hard or something, so hair out it is.

Lastly, she wriggles into the lacy rose-coloured lingerie she bought especially for the occasion. It had been very daunting trying to choose something in the shop, mostly because there had been _so much_ to choose from. Ones with garters and stockings, ones with a million straps, ones with complicated ties and laces, ones with cut outs in tacky places and ones made out of leather.

The shop assistant had pointed out the simple set of lace bra and panties when Betty had explained her situation.

“It’s sexy, but not in a garish way,” the shop assistant had said. Betty agreed. “Black, white, red, or pink?” the shop assistant asked.

White was too obvious. Archie already knew she was a virgin, no need to rub his face in it. Black was too predictable, too overdone. And red just made her feel like a hooker. Pink it was.  

She fiddles with the bows on her panties as she looks at herself in the mirror now. She thinks she looks sexy. She can only hope Archie does too.

Betty shrugs on the matching silk robe she’d bought as a last-minute impulse buy, but now she’s glad she has it. She doesn’t want to sit in her underwear for half an hour while she waits for Archie to arrive.

Butterflies engulf Betty’s stomach while she sits on her bed, the anticipation almost too much to bear. She peeks through the gap in the curtains, but Archie’s blind is also closed, and she has no idea what he’s doing. Unable to sit still any longer, she gets up and starts pacing.

She gets another text just before nine.

**_I’m at your front door. Should I come in?_ **

Betty bites her lip, her stomach flipping over.

 ** _Yes,_** she replies.

She can hear his footsteps coming up the stairs, getting louder, closer. He knocks on the door.

“Come in,” Betty says, trying not to sound as nervous as she feels. Archie pushes open the door. Betty’s heart lurches at the sight of him, his artfully messy red hair, his form fitting t-shirt, giving her a glimpse of what’s to come.

Archie stands in the doorway for a moment, his eyes on Betty where she stands by the window. He licks his lips nervously, then quickly looks at his feet when he realises he’s been staring. Betty feels her face redden.

“Hey,” Archie says, swallowing.

“Hey,” Betty responds. “Maybe you should shut the door,” she suggests. Archie nods and does as she bids.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Archie asks.

“I’m sure,” Betty says, confidently, decisively. She wants this. “Are you?”

Archie nods, but he stays where he is, waiting for her to make the first move. Could it be that he’s just as nervous as she is?

Betty loosens the tie around her waist and lets the robe fall to the floor. Archie doesn’t take his eyes off her. He opens his mouth as if to say something, but words seem to fail him.

“Are you okay?” Betty asks. Archie swallows.

“Yeah, I’m—yeah,” Archie says. “You look… incredible,” he tells her, and Betty ducks her head to hide her pleased smile.

“Come over here, then,” she says, and Archie finally seems to collect himself. He grins sheepishly before taking the few steps to cross the space between the two of them, and then he’s standing right in front of her. Betty can feel her heart racing and he’s so close to her she feels like she might die if he doesn’t touch her soon.

“Betty,” Archie says. “I want you to know that you can tell me stop at any time, and I promise I will. The second you feel uncomfortable, okay?”

“Okay,” Betty replies softly. Archie brings his hand to her shoulder and gently brushes his thumb down her arm. He leans in and Betty tilts her head towards his, their lips hovering millimetres apart. Betty’s eyes flutter shut as she waits for the moment of impact.

“Arch…” she whispers, a little impatiently, her voice filled with want. Archie closes the gap between their lips then, and all the air leaves Betty’s lungs.

The world stops, just for a moment, and the only thing that exists is this kiss, is Archie’s warm body pressed against hers, his calloused fingertips on her soft skin.

Archie deepens the kiss, and time starts up again, and it’s almost like they must make up for those lost seconds. Archie pulls her closer, though Betty wouldn’t have thought it possible. He traces the crease of her lips with his tongue, and Betty opens her mouth to him, allowing her tongue find his. Feeling more confident, Betty reaches for the hem of Archie’s shirt, letting her hands run over his abs as she does so.

Archie seems reluctant to have to pull away from her, but he lets her go so that he can lift his shirt over his head and toss it to the floor. Betty takes his hand and leads him over to her bed. She perches herself on the edge of the bed, looking up at him. Archie kicks his shoes and socks off, then leans down to kiss her again, following her down as she lies back on the bed until he’s on top of her, still kissing her as he runs a hand along the length of her body, leaving her skin tingling where he’s touched.

He moves his mouth from hers, kissing along her jaw and down her neck, one hand on her waist and one on her thigh. He continues to press his lips against her skin, trailing kisses lower and lower until he reaches her bra.

“Can I take this off?” he asks, looking up at her, the hand on her waist travelling higher, fingering the bottom of her bra. Betty nods, sitting up so she can reach behind her back and unclip her bra. She hesitates, and Archie reaches out a hand to brush her hair from her face.

“Hey,” he says gently. “It’s okay,” he assures her. “It’s just me. And if you want to keep it on, that’s okay.”

“No, I want to,” Betty tells him. She lets the bra fall from her chest and tosses it away, resisting the urge to cover herself. Archie’s dark eyes linger on her exposed breasts, his gaze full of want. The way he’s looking at her rids Betty of all previous self-consciousness.

“Beautiful,” he says, and then his mouth is on her again, kissing the hollow between her breasts and then running his tongue over a nipple. Betty arches into his mouth involuntarily as he takes her nipple into his mouth and sucks gently, a small gasp escaping her lips. Not to leave her other breast without attention, Archie moves his mouth to the unattended nipple, bringing his right hand to the other and gently brushing it with his thumb. His other hand runs up her thigh, stopping just before her reaches the junction where her thighs meet. He pauses his ministrations, looking at her again.

“Is this okay?” he asks. Betty nods, not trusting herself to speak right now. Archie lets his fingertips ghost over the outside of her panties, watching her face as he does so. Betty feels her insides clench excitedly. She wants him to touch her there. He strokes her gently between her legs, and Betty can feel the wetness pooling there beneath the lace. Archie hooks his fingers underneath the sides of her panties, tilting his head, his eyes questioning, waiting for her permission. Betty nods again, and Archie slides her panties down her legs, letting them drop to the floor. She’s well and truly naked for him now.

Archie brings his lips to her inner thigh, trailing kisses higher and higher, and Betty can feel a pounding of anticipation between her legs. Archie sucks at the soft skin on her upper thigh, and then he moves his head, and… oh god, is he going to…?

Betty gives a whimper when his tongue comes into contact with her slit.

“Archie?” Betty says, her voice a little strangled. He lifts his head.

“Yeah, Betts?”

“What are you doing?”

“Uh…” he starts. “Going down on you. Is that okay?”

Betty is sure her face is bright red as she bites her lip and nods for him to continue. He gives her an encouraging smile before he drops his head between her legs again. Betty covers her face with her hands. She’s not sure why, but for some reason it’s kind of embarrassing to have her best friend go down on her. In her childhood bedroom, no less. She soon forgets her embarrassment, however, as his tongue slides into her folds and he finds her clit, and _god,_ she’d hoped he’d be good, but she hadn’t expected him to use his _mouth_ so much. It’s a lot to handle.

Betty fists her hands into her sheets as Archie works his tongue inside her, slowly building the tension inside her until she feels like she’s going to break into a million pieces.

“ _Archie_ ,” she moans, and he stops again to lift his head. Which, so not what she was going for. “Don’t _stop_ ,” she admonishes. Archie chuckles before returning his attention between her legs, sucking her clit into his mouth, making her moan. A second later she feels a wave of pleasure crash over her, making her toes curl.

“Oh my god,” she says breathlessly. Is it supposed to feel like that every time?

“You okay?” Archie asks. _Okay_? She’s pretty sure she’s never been less okay in her life. He just made her come using just his mouth and she already wants him to do it again. Betty doesn’t answer his question, just sits up so she can kiss him. He melts into the kiss, and Betty brings her hands to his chest, guiding him back onto the bed.

“Time for your pants to come off,” she tells him, and he grins against her mouth.

“Do you have condoms? I brought a couple just in case,” he says.

“I have some,” Betty says. She’s been prepared for this moment for a week. But she appreciates that he’s prepared too.

“Okay,” he says. He kisses her again, like he can’t get enough of the taste of her. Betty’s hands roam down his body to the fly on his jeans, feeling how hard he is through the denim. The knowledge that she did that to him sends a thrill through her. Archie lets her undo his pants, taking over when it’s time to pull them off, leaving him standing in his boxers.

Betty’s stomach clenches in anticipation. She’s seen him like this before, of course, hundreds of times, through his window. Mostly by accident. But she’s never seen him _naked_. There had been a close call once, but she’d quickly looked away.

“Are you ready?” he asks her, his thumbs in his waistband, ready to pull them off.

“I’m not scared of it, Archie,” Betty screws up her nose. “Just show me what you’ve got already. It’s weird being the only naked one.”

Archie lets out a joyous laugh, and Betty smiles cheekily.

“Do it sexy,” she tells him. Archie shakes his head, grinning. He does as she asks, as best he can, and then he’s as naked as she is. She doesn’t mean to stare but, well, it’s _right there_ , and she’s probably never going to see it again after tonight. Archie laughs again, and Betty feels her face heat up.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Archie says. “You’re making me feel self-conscious.”

He closes the gap between them, and he kisses her softly. Betty leans her head back, kissing him harder, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him over her, back onto the bed. Archie slides a hand between her legs, slipping a finger inside her carefully. Betty moans against his mouth as he uses his finger to stroke inside her.

“Are you sure you’re ready?” Archie asks her again. She can see it in his eyes how much he wants this, can feel it in his hard cock pressed against her thigh, but she knows she could tell him to leave now and he would. But there’s nothing she wants him to do less than leave. She wants him inside her, wants him now. Betty just nods, kissing him again before reaching for the condoms on her nightstand. She grabs one, and tries to rip it open, her hands shaking.

“Here, let me,” Archie takes it from her and tears it open, and Betty watches as he rolls it onto his cock. He locks eyes with her, watching her cautiously as he leans over her again, positioning himself at her entrance, the head of his cock slipping between her outer lips. Betty spreads her legs for him, and he gently pushes into her. She lets out a small squeak, and he pauses.

“You okay?” he checks.

“I’m okay,” Betty assures him. “You can keep going.”

She can feel him stretching her as he pushes into her, filling her up until he’s buried inside her. It’s a little uncomfortable at first, but he lets her adjust to having him inside her before he does anything else.

“Archie,” Betty says breathlessly, clutching at his back. “Fuck me.”

Archie lets out a barely stifled groan, before he hastens to obey her. He pulls out slightly before rocking back into her, and Betty closes her eyes. She rolls her hips against him as he thrusts into her, over and over. Her peaked nipples brush against his hard chest, heightening her arousal.

She can feel herself getting closer, the pressure building inside her, coiling low in her belly, making her desperate for a release. Archie fucks her slow at first, but he gradually seems to realise she won’t break, thrusting into her harder and faster, panting, chasing his own release.

“Betty,” he moans, and Betty loves the sound of her name on his lips, full of want and desperation, like she’s the only one who can give him what he needs. “Are you close?” he asks her.

“Mmhmm,” Betty hums. Archie drops a hand between her legs to rub her clit and she bucks against him, the contact bringing her to the edge, and then she’s crumbling beneath him, arching against him as she writhes in pleasure. It’s even better than the last time, and she feels like she might black out for a second. Archie reaches his own breaking point a second later, thrusting into her one last time as he comes before collapsing on the bed next to her, breathing heavily in time with Betty.

Betty takes her time to catch her breath, and Archie gets up to throw the used condom in the trash. Betty makes a note to take it out before her mom gets home. He pulls his boxers back on and Betty reaches for her robe, slipping it on and fastening the tie around her waist. Archie sits beside her on the bed. He looks a little unsure of himself, like he doesn’t know whether she wants him to stay or go. Betty isn’t sure herself. She wants to kiss him again, but that’s over now. He’s done what she asked him to.

“Betty…” Archie starts, and she’s afraid of what he might say so she cuts him off.

“Thanks,” she smiles. “I’m glad my first time was with you.”

Archie nods. He pauses as if trying to work out the right response. “I’m happy you’re happy,” he finally settles on.

“You should probably go before my mom gets home,” Betty suggests, and Archie nods again. The thing is, she really wants him to stay. But the fact that she wants him to stay is probably a bad sign, and she can’t let there be any possibility of reigniting any old feelings.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” Archie asks. Betty shakes her head.

“Mom and I are going to visit Polly and the twins,” she tells him. “We’ll be gone a couple days I think.”

“I’ll probably be back in New York when you get back then,” Archie says. He seems disappointed.

“Hey, we’ll catch up again soon,” Betty promises.

“Don’t be a stranger, okay?” Archie says earnestly.

“I won’t,” Betty grins, and Archie gives her a slight smile back. He goes to get up, leaning toward her a little, and for a second she thinks he’s going to kiss her goodnight. But then he’s pulling on his pants and shirt and she thinks she imagined it. Archie picks up his shoes.

“See you,” he says, heading towards the door. He pauses when he reaches it, turning back for a moment. He opens his mouth to say something but then promptly closes it again.

“Betty…” he says again.

“Yeah, Arch?”

He swallows. “Goodnight.”

“Night, Arch.”

-

Betty heads back to New York after the break, and she’s determined to have sex with someone. Someone that isn’t Archie.

She’d been on a date with a guy a week or so before spring break, and she’s liked him well enough, so she decides to send him a message, asking if he wants to meet up again. He’s all too keen, and they arrange a date for the following Saturday night.

The date is fine, and the guy is fine. Betty probably won’t be organising a third date after this, but he’s good looking and into her, so she figures he’s the prime candidate for trying out this casual sex thing.

She’s still a _little_ nervous about it. But at least now she doesn’t have to go through the whole _I’m a virgin_ conversation and most likely scare him off. The guy, Mike is his name, is quite pleased when Betty suggests they go back to his place after dinner (and a couple of drinks to help her relax).

Mike practically pounces on her the second his front door is shut, bringing his mouth down on hers, open and hungry. It’s not the most pleasant kiss she’s ever had, but she kisses him back. That’s why she’s here, after all. There’s a little niggling in the back of her mind that tells her that he never actually _asked_ if she wanted him to kiss her, but she elects to ignore it. It’s fine.

The kiss lasts far too long in Betty’s opinion, though in reality it’s probably less than twenty seconds. Mike then pulls away and grins at her.

“Bedroom?” he asks. Betty nods, and Mike kicks off his shoes, leaving them in the hallway as he leads her to his room. “My housemates aren’t home tonight, so you can be as loud as you want,” he winks at her over his shoulder.

“Great, thanks,” Betty says flatly. Mike kisses her again when they reach his room, and it’s slightly better. He pulls away and Betty pulls her top off, hoping Mike might take a leaf out of Archie’s book and start kissing her chest. She’d quite liked that. Instead, he just kind of squeezes her boobs, then takes off his own shirt. He has a nice body at least.

“Alright, how about you take those pants off and we get this show on the road?” Mike says. Which is not sexy at all, although he seems to think it is. Betty goes to his bed and sits down, pulling her pants off as she goes. Mike is also removing his pants, and his underwear along with it.

“You ready?” he asks. Which, at least he’s asking.

“Uh…” Betty says. “I don’t think I’m… you know… _ready_ ,” she says.

“That’s cool, I can wait. When do you think you’ll be ready?”

“No, I mean… it might be kind of uncomfortable since I’m not really… wet,” she tells him. After all, all he’s done is kiss her a couple of times and squeeze her boobs. Not exactly foreplay.

“Oh,” Mike nods. “It’s okay I have some lube.”

Betty sighs. “Okay,” she agrees. “Have you got condoms?”

“Oh shit!” Mike says. “It’s okay, I think Josh might have some. I’ll be right back.”

Betty lies back on his bed while he’s gone, bringing a hand between her legs to try and get herself a little more in the mood. Archie’s face inadvertently pops into her mind and she quickly stops. She’s not with Archie. She doesn’t _want_ to be with Archie. She wants to be with Mike.

He wanders back into the room a minute later with a condom, already opening it and rolling it onto his erection. He goes to the drawers beside his bed and rifles around in the top drawer until he finds some lube. He applies it liberally to his dick and then asks Betty to take off her underwear. She almost does.

Instead she stands up and grabs her clothes.

“I can’t do this, I’m sorry,” she says, pulling her jeans back on.

“What? Why not?” Mike says in confusion. Betty puts her shirt on.

“I can already tell it’s not going to be any good,” she says, leaving the room quickly.

To her relief, Mike doesn’t come after her or try to stop her, but she does hear him mutter “ _fucking bitch_ ,” as she leaves. But she can deal with that.

She calls an Uber and tries not to cry on the way home. She wants to call Archie. She doesn’t.

-

She and Archie text a little bit, but every time he suggests they meet up she finds an excuse not to. She can’t stop thinking about him. About the way he kissed her, about the _places_ he kissed her, about the way he made her feel. She can’t see him again until she’s over it. And to get over it she needs to have sex with someone else. _Good_ sex. Better sex than with Archie.

She meets a guy named Trent at a party and goes home with him. She actually manages to go through with it this time, and it’s fine. He’s much more attentive than Mike had been, and actually makes her come once. But it’s not _fun,_ the way it had been with Archie. And she still wants to call Archie on the way home. And there’s every chance she might be a lot more in love with Archie than she’d originally thought.

-

She does try a couple more times, but by the time summer rolls around she’s had sex with exactly two guys: Archie and Trent.

It’s just that, none of the other guys make her feel the way Archie did. Like she was really wanted. Like how she felt mattered too. Like she was _loved_. She hates him a little bit for that.

She goes home for the summer, back to her old room, in her old house. She knows Archie will be back for the summer too, and she’s already plotting ways to avoid him, although she knows she won’t be able to forever.

Jughead’s bags are in the hallway when Betty arrives home, but he and FP are nowhere to be seen.

“They’ve gone out for some father-son bonding time,” Alice tells Betty. “We could do something similar if you like?” Alice offers.

“That’s okay, Mom. I’m kind of tired, maybe tomorrow?” Betty says. A moment later she spots Archie through the front window, clearly on his way over to speak to her. “On second thoughts, that sounds great. Shall we go to Pop’s?”

They pass Archie on their front step as they leave.

“Sorry, Arch, Mom and I are having some mother-daughter bonding time. See you later, maybe?” Betty says quickly.

“Uh, sure,” Archie says. Betty hops into the passenger seat of her mom’s car and Alice is right behind her.

Betty doesn’t look at Archie as they pull out of the driveway, but she throws a glance over her shoulder as they drive down the street, a feeling of guilt pooling in her stomach. But she can’t be around him right now. Not when all she wants him to do is kiss her again, and do the things to her that he’d done the last time they saw each other. She’ll get over it soon, surely.

-

She gets a message from Archie that night. FP and Jughead are still out god knows where, and Alice has gone to bed early.

**_Betty, can I come over? I feel like you’re avoiding me_ **

Betty sighs, staring at the message. She hasn’t opened her curtains since she’s been home, for fear of seeing Archie through them. He sends another message a second later.

**_I just want to talk to you_ **

Betty bites her lip, hesitant.

 ** _Okay_** , she finally sends back.

She meets Archie at the front door, and he doesn’t smile when he sees her like he usually does. Betty doesn’t smile either. She holds the door open and lets him inside, her heart pounding. He doesn’t say anything, and Betty isn’t sure what to say either.

“Come on, let’s go to my room,” she says finally, and Archie nods, following her upstairs.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Betty asks as they enter her room. Archie shuts the door behind him.

“I haven’t seen you since… since spring break,” he says. He’s twitchy, nervous. “Have you been avoiding me?”

“No,” Betty lies. “Of course not. We didn’t see each other that much before spring break,” she points out.

“Every time I try to reach out you say you’re busy,” Archie sighs. “And I get being busy. But honestly, I’m worried I’ve lost you.”

Betty’s heart breaks a little at that.

“Archie,” she says. She bites her lip. He watches her expectantly. How can she lie to him? “Okay, maybe I was avoiding you a little bit,” she admits.

“Why?” Archie says, hurt. “You said it wasn’t going to ruin our friendship.”

“Well, it’s your fault!” Betty snaps, going on the offence.

“My fault? _How_?”

“I said I wanted my first time to be nice,” Betty tells him. Archie immediately looks incredibly sorry.

“Betty, I’m so sorry. I thought it was good. Did I do something you didn’t like? Did I hurt you?” he asks, and he’s _so_ concerned about her. He really thinks he’s done something wrong, that he hurt her some way and he looks so guilty about it and Betty just wants to kiss the frown off his face.

“No, Archie,” she says. “You were absolutely perfect. And that’s entirely the problem. I can’t have sex with anyone else without thinking about _you,_ and how much I want _you._ You were supposed to make my first time just _nice_ , but you set the bar too high. You _ruined_ me,” Betty says.

Archie just stares at her for a moment, his mouth hanging open. He closes it quickly, then swallows. Betty thinks for a moment he’s going to apologise.

“Then let me ruin you again,” he says instead, and then he’s reaching for her, and Betty’s reaching for him, their lips colliding. It’s not soft and gentle like the first time, it’s desperate and hungry, and they’re pulling off each other’s clothes fervently, kissing and touching the whole time, unwilling to be without contact for more than a second.

“Betty,” Archie says breathlessly, in between kisses on her neck. “I can’t stop thinking about you either. About that night.” He removes her bra, and caresses her breasts with his hands and mouth. He slips his hand into her panties, sliding a finger against her wet folds. Betty stumbles backwards against the bed, pulling him with her. She lets him pull off her panties and then his own underwear joins hers on the floor.

“Do you still have condoms?” he asks.

“Yes,” Betty manages to get out, despite her heated state. She reaches over and grabs a condom out of her top drawer and hands it to him. He wastes no time putting it on, and then Betty is guiding him inside her, wrapping her legs around his waist. He’s not so gentle with her this time, driving into her passionately.

Betty arches against him, clinging to him, desperate for more. She moans loudly, unable to keep herself quiet. She’s not the only one though, as Archie is just as loud, groaning from exertion and ecstasy.

She comes just before he does, and kisses her as she orgasms, making her high even sweeter. A second later he finishes, and then he falls on top of her, rolling away a second later so as not to crush her.

“That was amazing,” Betty breathes.

“Yeah,” Archie agrees, still breathing heavily. He removes the condom and throws it in the rubbish bin before lying back down beside Betty. “Betty?” he says.

“Mmm?” Betty replies, closing her eyes.

“You don’t…” he starts. “Do you want me to go? I mean was this…” he trails off, sounding unsure of himself. Betty stomach drops at the thought of him leaving. She opens her eyes.

“Do you want to go?” she asks. She turns her head to look at him.

“No!” Archie says quickly. “God, no. I just need to know… is this just sex again? Or is it something else?” he says. “Because, at the risk of ruining this… I have to tell you… I’m in love with you, Betty.”

Betty’s heart swells so much she feels it might burst.

“You are?” she says.

“Yeah,” Archie says, rolling onto his stomach. “I mean, can’t you tell?”

“Archie,” Betty says. “After everything I said before, how I can only think about you. Do you really think I’m not in love with you too?”

Archie grins shyly. He leans over to kiss her. “I love you,” he says. “I love you.”

Betty smiles giddily. “So stay,” she says. “Of course I want you to stay.”

-

When Betty wakes up in the morning she’s wrapped in Archie’s arms, and she feels she’s never been more content. He’s awake, she can tell by the way he smiles when she turns over to face him.

“Are you happy?” she asks. Archie opens his eyes slowly.

“Yes,” he whispers.

Someone knocks on her bedroom door. Betty’s eyes widen in panic. She barely has time to make sure both of them are covered with the sheet before Alice is barging into the room.

“Mom!” Betty bursts out.

“Oh, thank god it’s Archie,” Alice says.

“Good morning, Mrs Cooper,” Archie says awkwardly.

“When I heard you last night I was worried it was Jughead and there were going to be all sorts of awkward conversations,” Alice continues.

“Because this isn’t awkward?” Betty deadpans. The first part of Alice’s sentence hits her. “Wait, you _heard_ us? Oh my god.”

“Try to be quiet, next time, please Betty,” Alice admonishes before leaving the room.

“Oh my god,” Betty says, feeling like she might die of embarrassment. Archie just laughs.

“Wow, your mom really has changed,” he notes.

“At least this can’t get any worse,” Betty sighs, burying her head into her pillow. She’s proved wrong however, when a moment later Jughead strolls into the room.

“Hey guys,” he says. “Veronica’s back in town, do you want to go meet her at Pop’s for milkshakes?”

Archie laughs while Betty groans into her pillow.

“Sure Jug,” Archie says. “Just give us a minute, will you?”

Jughead nods with a grin and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.

“I guess there’s no chance we get to keep this a secret for a while then, huh?” Betty says, turning her head towards Archie.

“I don’t think I could anyway,” Archie tells her. “I want the whole world to know I’m in love with you, Betty Cooper.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just the same story but from Archie's POV. Requested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not proofread at all sorry. Feel free to point out mistakes.

The truth is, Archie would do anything for Betty Cooper. He trusts her implicitly, and even if she asked him to burn down his own house, he’d assume she had a good reason for it. He just never thought she’d ask him _this_.

A minute ago she’d been telling him to find a girlfriend to help his song writing, (he’d almost blurted out that the reason he doesn’t have one is because he wants it to be _her),_ and now she’s telling him she wants him to take her virginity. It’s a shock to say the least.

“Betty…” he starts. He’s not so sure this is a great idea, for about a million reasons, the main one being he might be a tiny bit in love with her, and she has no idea.

“Before you say no, just hear me out!” Betty cuts him off. “I understand if you don’t want to have sex with me, but if you’re going to say no because you think I haven’t thought this through, I promise I have. I just want to lose my virginity to someone I trust, someone who cares about me, who makes me feel safe, and _you do_. I’m not going to pine for you or anything afterwards, and you’re not going to break my heart again. Just a one time thing, I swear.”

And see, therein lies the problem. He’s not certain he could be satisfied with just one time with Betty. He thinks he can be satisfied with never. Never means he can pretend he doesn’t want her, can tell himself it probably wouldn’t be that good anyway. But _once?_ Once means knowing what it feels like to be with her, and then having to go the rest of his life with the torturous memory of what her skin tastes like. Yeah, so, he’s not entirely convinced.

But, god, he doesn’t want to disappoint her.

And then she’s standing up, embarrassed, thinking he doesn’t want her (which is so not the problem), and he feels like a dick.

So he grabs her hand and tells her he doesn’t want to ruin their friendship, which is the second reason he thinks this is a bad idea. Even this small amount of contact, her hand in his, means so much to him.

“I don’t think it will,” she assures him. But he still doesn’t know. 

“Can I think about it?” he asks. Betty nods.

“Mom and FP are going out tonight. If you decide yes, come over around nine,” she says. Archie nods and drops her hand. “I won’t be upset if you decide no,” Betty promises, and then she goes, leaving him to ponder over his decision.

The thing is, Archie absolutely wants to have sex with Betty. He’s thought about it all too often. What he’d like to do to her, how he’d like to make her feel, where he wants to touch her. He always feels guilty about it after. He knows he’s not supposed to think of her like that. They’re _friends._ He never thought he’d actually get the chance to do any of those things. But now she wants him to. She’s _asking_ him to. And for some reason he’s hesitating.

He tries to weigh up the pros and cons.

Cons: it could ruin their friendship, she might hate it, he might spend the rest of his life pining for her

Pros: Betty would lose her virginity to someone who actually loves her, she might like it, he might spend the rest of his life pining for her anyway.

But in the end the pros win out, and it’s mostly because of the very selfish reason that he wants this. And if he’s got one chance to be with her, even for just one night, then he has to take it.

So with shaking hands and pounding heart, he picks up his phone and taps out a message to her.

**_Yes._ **

**-**

Four and a half hours later, after trying unsuccessfully to distract himself all afternoon and evening, he makes the journey next door, texting Betty when he reaches her front door instead of knocking. He doesn’t want to risk Alice or FP answering the door. But they aren’t home and she tells him to come inside.

Archie feels like he might die as he walks up the stairs towards her bedroom, his stomach churning. He’s trying not be nervous, after all, she’s expecting him to be the confident one, right? But this isn’t just some random girl he’s about to have sex with. It’s _Betty._ His best friend, the love of his life.

He hesitates at her bedroom door, before knocking gingerly.

“Come in,” Betty calls, and he pushes the door open. She’s standing by the window, wearing just a pink satin robe, tied loosely around her waist. Her hair is free from its usual ponytail, curling gently around her shoulders. Archie can’t help but stare. She looks absolutely perfect. He’s not entirely sure this whole thing isn’t just a dream.

He suddenly realises how long he’s been staring and drops his gaze, before meeting her eyes again.

 “Hey,” he says, lamely. He cringes inwardly at his less than intelligent introduction.

“Hey,” Betty responds. “Maybe you should shut the door,” she suggests. Archie nods and does as she bids.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks. He has to be sure. _She_ has to be sure.

“I’m sure,” Betty says, confidently, decisively. “Are you?”

He wants to grab her right then and show her just how sure he is. Instead he just nods, feeling more unsure of himself than he ever has before. Does she want him to make the first move, or should he wait for her?

Betty answers his question by untying her robe and letting it slip off her shoulders and onto the floor. She stands there in a pretty pink bra and matching panties, looking like something out of one of his dreams. He’s staring again, he knows, but he thinks it’s okay this time. He wants to tell her how beautiful she looks. He wants to tell her how much he loves her. He stays silent.

“Are you okay?” Betty asks. Archie swallows.

“Yeah, I’m—yeah,” he says. “You look… incredible,” he finally manages.  

“Come over here, then,” she says, and something about her cheeky smile, her light-hearted tone makes him realise he has nothing to be nervous about. This is _Betty_. It’s going to be amazing, no matter what. He grins sheepishly before taking the few steps to cross the space between the two of them, and then he’s standing right in front of her. He wants to kiss her so badly, but first—

“Betty,” he says. “I want you to know that you can tell me stop at any time, and I promise I will. The second you feel uncomfortable, okay?”

“Okay,” Betty replies softly. Her soft voice makes his knees weak. He brings his hand to her shoulder and gently brushes his thumb down her arm. This is it, this is the moment. He’s allowed to kiss her. She _wants_ him to kiss her. He leans in slowly, pausing just before their lips touch, closing his eyes, revelling in their closeness.

“Arch…” Betty whispers, the sound of his name on her lips causes a skip in his heartbeat and he can’t hold back any longer. He crushes his lips against hers, like he’s been wanting to for so long.

They lose their clothes quickly after that, making their way to Betty’s bed, Archie’s mouth barely leaving her for a moment. He wants to kiss her all over. He hopes she wants that.

He’s gentle with her, of course, and patient. But he’s hungry for her too, and once she’s naked in front of him, he can’t resist bringing his head between her legs. If he only gets to do this with her once, he’s going to do it right.

Her sounds of pleasure, his name rolling of her lips desperately, fill him with confidence and make him hard. Making her feel good, makes _him_ feel good.

She orgasms with his tongue inside her, and then she kisses him with her taste still on his tongue. He doesn’t want to rush her, but he desperately needs to be inside her. He has condoms in his pocket, but it turns out Betty is prepared anyway. She orders him to take his pants off, and he does his best (worst) attempt at a strip tease. She laughs at him, and it makes his insides go all gooey. He could listen to her laugh forever.

But then the way she stares at him, naked, that’s something else altogether. His cock twitches under her heated gaze. She wants him. _Really_ wants him.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Archie laughs. “You’re making me feel self-conscious.”

He closes the gap between them, and he kisses her softly. Betty leans her head back, kissing him harder, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him over her, back onto the bed. Archie slides a hand between her legs, slipping a finger inside her carefully. Betty moans against his mouth as he uses his finger to stroke inside her.

“Are you sure you’re ready?” Archie asks her again. He’s not going to fuck this up by pressuring her. Betty just nods, kissing him again before reaching for the condoms on her nightstand. She grabs one, and tries to rip it open, her hands shaking.

“Here, let me,” Archie takes it from her and tears it open, and rolls it onto his cock. He locks eyes with her, watching her cautiously as he leans over her again, positioning himself at her entrance, the head of his cock slipping between her outer lips. God, he wants her so much. Betty spreads her legs for him, and he gently pushes into her. He bites his lip to keep from moaning. Betty lets out a small squeak, and he pauses.

“You okay?” he checks.

“I’m okay,” Betty assures him. “You can keep going.”

He does as he’s bid, pushing into her, deeper, until his cock is sheathed inside her. Fuck. It takes all his self-control to keep from just fucking her right now. But he reminds himself that she’s a virgin and he needs to take this slow. He needs to wait for her to give him a sign that she’s okay, that he can keep going.

 “Archie,” Betty says breathlessly, clutching at his back. “Fuck me.”

That’s a pretty clear sign if ever there was one. Archie lets out a barely stifled groan, before he hastens to obey her. He pulls out slightly before rocking back into her, and Betty rolls her hips against him as he thrusts into her, over and over, slow at first, then harder, faster, until he can feel her coming against him, and he falls apart on top of her.

He catches his breath and then disposes of the condom before pulling his boxers on. The sex had been amazing, but now he’s left wondering where he stands, what he should do, what now. Should he tell her how he feels? Will she want to know?

“Betty…” he starts, not really even sure what he’s going to say yet, but Betty cuts him off. It’s probably for the best.

“Thanks,” she smiles. “I’m glad my first time was with you.”

Archie nods. He gets it. This was a one time thing, and she’d been quite clear about that from the start. But he already aches for her. Wishes he could stay and wake up next to her.

“I’m happy you’re happy,” he tells her, which is the most honest thing he can come up with.

“You should probably go before my mom gets home,” Betty suggests, and Archie nods again.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” he asks. Betty shakes her head.

“Mom and I are going to visit Polly and the twins,” she tells him. “We’ll be gone a couple days I think.”

“I’ll probably be back in New York when you get back then,” Archie says. He’s disappointed he won’t get to spend any more time together before they go back to New York.

“Hey, we’ll catch up again soon,” Betty promises.

“Don’t be a stranger, okay?” Archie says. Somehow he has an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach that this is the end. He reminds himself it’s not. Everything is fine.  

“I won’t.”

Archie manages a half smile. For a moment he goes to kiss her as he stands up, before realising he’s really not entitled to do that. He hopes she didn’t notice. He dresses quickly and heads for the door. He stops. He should tell her. He _needs_ to. She deserves to know how he feels. He turns back towards her.

“Betty…” he starts. But he can’t bring himself to say the words. It would change everything.

“Yeah, Arch?”

“Goodnight,” he says instead.

“Night, Arch.”

-

Betty had said it wouldn’t ruin their friendship, but somehow it feels ruined all the same. Archie tries to make time to catch up with her, but she’s always busy. And he gets being busy, but this feels like something else. Like she’s avoiding him. He feels sick every time he thinks about it. If he could just see her, talk to her, he’s sure everything would go back to normal.

But the more time goes on without her, the more he’s sure he has to tell her how he feels. If this is how their friendship is now anyway, he has nothing to lose by getting it all out in the open. And it doesn’t look like he’s getting over her any time soon, so he feels like he needs to get it off his chest.

He’ll tell her when they’re both back in Riverdale for the summer. It’s kind of hard for her to avoid him there.

Summer finally rolls around, and Archie makes his way home to Riverdale. He can tell Betty isn’t home yet, so he heads to his room to unpack. Five minutes later Jughead is walking into his room.

“Hey,” Archie grins. “Where’ve you been?”

“Oh, you know,” Jughead shrugs with a smile. “Around.”

“You want to go to Pop’s later?”

“Maybe tomorrow. Dad and I are going for a ride this afternoon for some bonding time,” Jughead says. “Betty should be home soon though, maybe she can keep you company.”

“If she’ll even be in the same room with me,” Archie mutters.

“What?” Jughead frowns. “What happened?”

Archie considers his friend for a moment. He’s pretty sure Jughead is over Betty, but they did still date for a while there. Still, if there’s anything he’s learnt over the last few years, it’s honesty goes a long way sometimes.

Archie sighs. “Betty and I… kind of… had sex a while ago,” he admits. Jughead looks vaguely surprised, but lack of other emotion makes Archie feel a little better about the whole thing.

“Wow,” says Jughead. “I guess it had to happen sooner or later.”

“She said it wouldn’t ruin our friendship, but now she says she’s busy whenever I suggest hanging out,” Archie says.

“Maybe you suck in bed,” Jughead grins.

“Would you be serious, please?” Archie throws a pillow at Jughead. He lies down on his bed, rubbing his forehead.

“She’ll get over it eventually,” Jughead assures Archie. “You’re Archie and Betty, best friends for life. Once you talk it out things will go back to normal.”

Archie is silent for a moment. “I don’t want it to go back to normal, Jug,” he says quietly. “I’m in love with her. I want to be with her.”

Jughead doesn’t reply right away. “Then you better tell her before it’s too late,” he finally says.

“What if she doesn’t love me back?” Archie asks, voicing his deepest fear.

“I’m pretty sure she’s been in love with you since she was four years old,” Jughead smiles wryly.

“She loved you too, you know,” Archie says.

“I know,” Jughead nods. “But I think I always knew that you two were soulmates. Maybe the stars are finally aligned for you guys.”

“Maybe.”

-

Archie finally texts Betty that night, asking if he can come over. After she dodged him when she arrived home, and has had her curtains shut all evening, it’s his last resort.

He gets the feeling her affirmative reply is reluctant, but he’ll take what he can get.

He rehearses what he’s going to say in his head as he walks over, but the second she opens the door, he forgets everything. She leads him to her room though, instead of slamming the door in his face, so that’s something.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Betty asks as they enter her room. Archie shuts the door behind him. He gets straight to the point, despite the overwhelming urge to just bolt.

“I haven’t seen you since… since spring break,” he says. “Have you been avoiding me?”

“No,” Betty says, but he knows it’s a lie.

“Every time I try to reach out you say you’re busy,” he sighs. “And I get being busy. But honestly, I’m worried I’ve lost you.” He can hear the vulnerability in his own voice, and he hates it, but he can’t help it. When it comes to Betty, he’s entirely hopeless.

 “Archie,” she says. She bites her lip. He watches her expectantly. “Okay, maybe I was avoiding you a little bit,” she admits. And he knew it, but it still hurts to hear her admit it.

“Why?” he asks. “You said it wasn’t going to ruin our friendship.”

“Well, it’s your fault!” Betty snaps, and Archie flinches, taken aback.

“My fault? _How_?”

“I said I wanted my first time to be nice,” Betty tells him. The words hit him like a punch it the gut. Fuck. He’d tried so hard not to fuck it up, but he had anyway. Guilt pools in his stomach.

“Betty, I’m so sorry. I thought it was good. Did I do something you didn’t like? Did I hurt you?” he asks, because he has to know what he did wrong.

“No, Archie,” she says.

Archie frowns in confusion. Is she just trying to make him feel better?

“You were absolutely perfect. And that’s entirely the problem. I can’t have sex with anyone else without thinking about _you,_ and how much I want _you._ You were supposed to make my first time just _nice_ , but you set the bar too high. You _ruined_ me,” Betty says.

Archie just stares at her for a moment, his mouth hanging open. _That’s_ certainly not what he was expecting. He swallows, his heart pounding. He could apologise. He could admit his feelings to her again now. Or her could just –

“Then let me ruin you again.”

He reaches for her, kissing her hungrily, and she’s kissing him back with hesitation. He fumbles with her clothes, and in an instant they’re on the floor.

“Betty,” Archie says breathlessly, in between kisses on her neck. “I can’t stop thinking about you either. About that night.”

That’s enough of a confession for now. He doesn’t want to ruin the moment.

He fucks her hard this time, and she comes beneath him, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever get enough of her.

“That was amazing,” Betty breathes. And it was, of course. But he’s suddenly worried that that’s all it was to her. Amazing, but ultimately meaningless, sex. He can’t bear the thought.

“Betty?” he says.

“Mmm?”

“You don’t…” he starts. How does he put this?  “Do you want me to go? I mean was this…” he trails off. How does he ask what this means to her without letting her know how much it means to him.

“Do you want to go?”

Her voice quivers a little and his heart skips a beat. She wants him to stay. That’s a good sign. He knows he has to tell her now before he loses the nerve.

“God, no. I just need to know… is this just sex again? Or is it something else?” he says. He swallows. It’s now or never. “Because, at the risk of ruining this… I have to tell you… I’m in love with you, Betty.”

She’s quiet for a moment, and Archie holds his breath, waiting for her reply.

“You are?” she says.

“Yeah,” Archie says, rolling onto his stomach. “I mean, can’t you tell?”

“Archie,” Betty says. “After everything I said before, how I can only think about you. Do you really think I’m not in love with you too?”

Archie grins shyly. He leans over to kiss her. “I love you,” he says. “I love you.”

Betty smiles giddily. “So stay,” she says. “Of course I want you to stay.”

-

In a booth at Pop’s the next morning, Archie sits next to his girlfriend, their fingers interlocked under the table. He doesn’t want to ever let her hand go.

“Honestly guys,” Veronica says. “I was beginning to think you two were going to be idiots forever. But I’m happy for you both. I’m glad you finally got your acts together.”

“Yeah, I only wish my mom hadn’t found out the way she did. Jughead too for that matter,” Betty grimaces.

“I’m just glad I wasn’t home to hear you,” Jughead snorts. Betty flushes and Archie grins. She’s so adorable when she’s embarrassed.

“Oh my god, Archie,” Veronica smirks. “I can’t believe how lovestruck you look right now. Quick take a picture so he can see how ridiculous he looks.”

“I don’t think he looks ridiculous,” Betty says, leaning in to kiss him.

“Well, that’s really all that matters to me,” Archie says.


End file.
